1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for supporting telephony features on a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network. In particular, the present invention relates to conference call features supported in a VoIP network.
2. Description of the Background Art
A fundamental consideration when setting up a conference call is access control. A user can join a conference call by dialing in a conference call number. Additionally, to ensure that only authorized users join the conference call, the user is required to enter a password or a personal identification number to join the call. This security feature prevents unauthorized personnel from participating in the call. However, the password requirement can also prevent some of the intended participants from joining the call. Participants often find it unwieldy to determine the phone number and the password for the call. One solution to this problem is to email the phone number and password to the intended participants. However, participants may not have access to email when they are ready to join the conference call. Moreover, distributing password in any written form involves the risk of security leaks.
Additionally, the conference call solutions currently available do not provide the participants with much needed flexibility. For example, participants involved in a conference call cannot start a visual presentation session associated with the call. At best, the participants can employ separate solutions that involve cumbersome setup overhead for the participants. Furthermore, many such enhanced features must be set up and authorized before the call and cannot be initiated once the call has started.